


Hidden Behind the Sun and the Moon

by lysanatt



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: First Time, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-12-14
Updated: 2007-12-14
Packaged: 2018-09-08 13:50:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8847520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lysanatt/pseuds/lysanatt
Summary: Lucius wakes up the day after the final battle, tired, sore and with unexpected company in his bed. Maybe Lucius has to change more than allegiances?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Title inspired by a Buddha saying: 'Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.'.  
> Beta by V and Imma.

The sunlight crept through the window, fingers of light teasing, tenderly tickling Lucius' nose. He stirred and stretched, only to wince as his body responded with flashes of pain, far too many for Lucius to feel comfortable. He turned, squeezing his eyes tight in an attempt to keep the light out. His head hurt, his chest and arms ached. Lucius' handsome face contracted in a twisted sneer. If at least the sodding birds outside could stop being so annoyingly cheerful.

 _Oh_. Lucius breathed out, very, very slowly to placate the pain. Between the awful flashes of something resembling a masterly performed Cruciatus he seemed to remember vaguely that he had not entered the master bed alone. He ignored that his mouth felt as if a herd of incontinent and very furry goats had crept in and died on his tongue - a reminiscence of yesterday's combined mourning-and-victory party. Without turning, he patted the right side of the mattress, letting his hand move over the sheet. It felt cool and soft. Relieved, he dragged a part of the dark blue fabric into a wrinkled ball in his hand as he found nothing but silk and empty bed as far as he could reach. He wasn't really aware of what he had been looking for, just like he wasn't entirely certain whether he was glad or disappointed he didn't find what he hadn't found. Whatever it was. Lucius' brain denied fervently to cooperate, and the world seemed rather foggy, apart from the evil ray of sunlight that tried to stab poniards into his head.

Lucius decided that waking up now would be far too soon and he yawned and went to sleep again, dragging the flimsy sheet over his head.

 

When he woke the next time, the sun had moved to cast long shadows on the light blue wall. The body next to him had moved, too, because this time there was something - someone - lying close; the warmth of another body was burning against his back. It was a bit unsettling (mostly because this time, he hadn't expected anyone to actually be in his bed) since Lucius couldn't really recall precisely how the woman had ended up there, and he definitely couldn't remember what they might have done. Also he had a minor problem regarding recalling the identity of said woman. To be exact: he had absolutely no clue who she was, or if he had shagged the stuffing out of her all night or not.

He felt a bit guilty for a moment, being with another woman than his wife, but pushed the feeling away. Narcissa would have done the same, had she survived the war and he hadn't. Guilt did not apply to a Malfoy. The pain of his loss threatened to overwhelm him for a moment, even if it had been a year since she was taken away from him. Last night he had felt it even more, celebrating without her. No wonder he had been drunk.

So many had died, and the feast had been one of both sadness and triumph. It had been bittersweet and empty, exhilarating and saddening, all at the same time. The Dark Lord was gone, along with so many of his minions, some of them had been Lucius' friends. Lucius sighed, and was once more satisfied he had decided to change sides (if not allegiances; Lucius was loyal only to himself) when The Dark Lord had taken out on Draco what essentially had been the Dark Lord's own error. The man was a failure.

Without thinking, Lucius let his fingers trace the unknown hand, resting against his chest, arm thrown over his side. The hand was long and thin, not really a very feminine hand - too large for that. But the fingers were slender, soft on the upper side, and the hand slightly callused at the underside, as if the woman in question was doing manual labour. Lucius' nostrils widened in disgust when the image of Professor Sprout slid through his brain. Ah, he would never... no matter how drunk, and besides, Sprout had fingers like sausages. This one had beautiful hands. He wondered briefly if he could turn and find out who he had bedded without knowing it and not wake up the lady next to him in doing so.

However, he decided he wasn't really ready to face the _fait accompli_ just yet. His only excuse was that he would probably not have done such a thing, had he not shared more than a bottle of Old Ogden's with McGonagall and Severus. Or was it two? The headache told him it could very well have been two. Lucius opened his eyes in shock. The woman... Not McGonagall? Although McGonagall was not bad looking, on the contrary. With her long black hair and without the spectacles she was still stunning. The bossy attitude was even... interesting. But, no. There was no way Lucius Malfoy possibly would wake up the first day after Voldemort's death and have to explain to the Headmistress how they ended up in his bed at the Manor. Not that he would be able to cast a light over the events anyway, but McGonagall would demand an explanation nevertheless. Lucius smiled slightly. Maybe she could give him detention and a thorough span- 

No. Definitely no!

Lucius berated himself for being a coward. Only the headache was a bit annoying, and trying to get out of a _situation_ with a lady was not really on the top of his to-do list this morning. Actually, he felt more like having one of Severus' marvellous headache potions, and then a lot of black coffee. Lucius sighed. Better get it over with and get the woman - whoever she was - out, so he could have his breakfast, his Daily Prophet and his bed to himself. He reached for his wand on the bedside table, and for a moment he didn't realise that the pain in _that_ place was not from any Cruciati he had taken in yesterday's battle. Lucius winced. Why did he ache _there_?

Lucius' eyes widened in shock. _No! He hadn't..._ Lucius sat up. Now he didn't care if he woke somebody up. Because this outrage... Lucius took a deep breath, then carefully removed the corner of the sheet that covered the face of his unexpected bedfellow.

Oh, Salazar! Oh, Lord! Lucius closed his eyes, hoping he would discover this was just a bad dream when he opened them again.

Unfortunately it was not. There was still someone in this bed, and if one had to judge from the long thin legs, the flat chest strewn with a sparse growth of soft black hair around the nipples, there was no way this could be a woman. Lucius was very certain it wasn't the case, because the man in his bed was no other than the usual thin, greasy-haired, sour man who had been his friend for more than twenty years. How the hell they had ended up in bed together was beyond Lucius - Severus Snape wasn't gay and neither was he. As far as Lucius knew, that was.

 _Fuck_. Or rather not, Lucius thought at the sight of his friend, because he wasn't in doubt about what had happened now, not when he considered the pain in his nether region and the presence of a man in his bed. Lucius had to face the fact that he had obviously allowed Severus to fuck him thoroughly at some point during the night - precisely how and when was mercifully dimmed by the fog of Firewhisky. At least that was something to be grateful for.

What the hell had he been thinking? He looked down at the sleeping former Potions master; Lucius hoped that their night together would not transform Severus into a former friend as well. They had lost so much in this ridiculous war, should one night's horny stupidity cost them both even more? Something none of them could really afford to lose? Lucius smiled softly. Severus looked peaceful as he lay there, one arm flung over his eyes, the other resting against Lucius' thigh where it had fallen when Lucius sat up. Severus' black hair was spread out over the pillow, a lock over his cheek, threatening to disappear into Severus' half-open mouth.

Lucius leaned forward and brushed the lock away. Severus' chin was stubbled, a strange feeling, touching a man like that... caressing him. Lucius let his index finger trail over Severus' cheek; the skin above the stubble was soft and pale, thin. He could see the tiny veins under it. Severus' breath seemed to suffer from the same herd of dead goats that inhabited Lucius' mouth, and distracted Lucius took his wand and cast a cleansing spell on both of them. He felt better with a slight taste of peppermint on his tongue.

Severus stretched, still asleep and turned to snuggle up against Lucius' thigh. He threw a thin, but remarkably lean and strong arm over Lucius' lap, dragging him closer in his sleep. Lucius' mouth formed a quiet but anxious _O_! Suddenly Severus' face was very close to a certain part of Lucius' anatomy - a part Lucius would prefer to keep to himself, thank you very much. He wrapped the duvet as much around himself as possible to avoid any unnecessary contact. He sat for a while, staring down at his sleeping friend, not really certain what he should do.

Had it been anybody else lying in his bed like this, Lucius would have woken the person up and kindly (possibly after having offered breakfast) asked whomever it was to leave the premises. This was different. It was Severus. Lucius realised he had no idea whether Severus had been equally drunk yesternight and hence would regard the realities with some hostility when he woke up. One thing Lucius knew, though, was that waking Severus _before_ he had slept adequately would be a Very Bad Idea.

Lucius considered if he should try to get out of bed and tried to move away, but Severus only tightened his grip. Lucius sighed deeply. Removing himself from the unwanted embrace was not an option, then. Unless he wanted a grumpy Severus and a row before breakfast.

Lucius leaned back against the headboard and quietly summoned a cup of coffee and a potion for his headache from his House-elf.

He drank his coffee slowly, the black aromatic drink cleared his head, the potion had already dulled the pain in his head to a bearable level. As he sat there, staring at Severus, he wondered what had moved them to do such an utterly insane thing. Lucius couldn't remember that he had been attracted to any man before, and if he were to be, he would definitely have chosen someone less ugly and more friendly.

Lucius eyes narrowed. It was maybe not quite right that Severus was unfriendly. If he thought back, the young, angry boy he had met at Hogwarts had always been there, somehow a more true friend than any other friend he had had. Because Severus had not stabbed Lucius in the back without thinking twice, even if they had served different masters. On the contrary. He had saved Draco, he had taken care of Narcissa as well as possible, and he had managed to get Lucius out of Azkaban as a reward for certain information about the Dark Lord's secrets. Now that Lucius came to think of it, Severus had even killed for him, to save his son.

Sending his empty cup hovering to the bedside table, Lucius wondered how it came to be that this man (who clearly was poor, who had no one, nothing) had sacrificed so much for him. As far as Lucius knew, there had been no family, no real friends. How was it that a man who had so little still found something to give away? Distractedly, Lucius' fingers played with Severus' hair, trying to straighten out the mess of black, slightly curling locks. The hair was so soft in his hand, like fur, almost. Severus made a content little sigh, but didn't wake. Lucius didn't remove his hand, either.

It wasn't really in Lucius' nature, the 'eye for an eye'-approach. He took all he could get, not bothering about giving back, not unless he could see an advantage in it. As for revenge, it was not a question of eye for eye. No, if revenge was done properly, an eye would be all there would be _left_. Only with Severus... Lucius suddenly felt a bit guilty, something that disturbed him even more than the fact that he had a naked man in his bed. Lucius had had everything; wife, child, fortune... Severus had nothing. And still he had offered everything to Lucius.

Lucius didn't understand. What did Severus want in return? The concept of giving without getting was quite odd, actually.

He remembered pieces of conversations he had had through the years; with his father, with Narcissa, with the Dark Lord, with Bellatrix...

' _He is not proper company, Lucius. He is a half-blood. He could be a traitor to our cause... Just look at him... Ugly. Poor. Not our kind._ ' They had all tried to convince him, and he had never given in. Severus had proved himself worthy. Of course there was the tiny fact that Severus actually _had_ betrayed all of them, but everything had turned out for the best. Lucius wasn't certain the world would have been a better place with Lord Voldemort as its ruler. It might have limited Lucius' own quest for power drastically.

They had all tried to convince him that Severus was the wrong kind, but he - and Severus with his immense power and talent - had won them over. Lucius realised that he clearly had been rather attached to Severus; both as a boy, as a young man, and now as an adult. Severus had most certainly felt attached to Lucius, too, it seemed. Lucius' behind still felt very sore after their recent physical attachment.

Lucius slid a little further down into the bed, now leaning on his elbow. He was watching Severus, not that there was much to watch, as he slept quietly, breathing slowly, calmly, against Lucius' naked flesh. Maybe Severus was dreaming, Lucius thought, his eyes were moving under the thin eyelids, making the long, black eyelashes flutter against his white skin. Lucius had actually never realised how long those lashes were. Maybe the fact that a pair of angry black eyes always stared out from under them averted the attention from their lush length and thickness.

Lucius raised a hand to travel a finger over the dark eyebrows, arching high over the eyes; tiny, elegantly formed bows. Strangely mesmerised by the well-known face, Lucius realised he had never really _seen_ his friend, not like this, relishing every little detail. The nose... well, small was not quite the word... The nose was large and hooked, but it was as much a part of Severus' personality as it was of his physiognomy. Lucius wondered if Severus would have had a different destiny, had his nose been smaller. As far as he remembered, a Muggle Roman emperor had fallen because of the size of an Egyptian Queen's nose. The nose in itself was not that bad. Lucius resisted an urge to bend forward and kiss the tip of it, berating himself that it was a rather inappropriate thought.

Severus wasn't pretty, Lucius agreed with himself about that. But his face was fascinating, especially when Severus was so relaxed; it was as if the lines of age disappeared, just as the deep frown that usually decorated Severus' brow. He looked much younger; a happier Severus. He wasn't really half bad, Lucius thought. He was thin, but maybe less strains and worries would remedy that, at least Lucius promised himself he would see to it that Severus was properly fed and taken care of. Now he could do it openly without worrying about the deceased Dark Lord or society in general. Apart from that, Lucius was of course above what those... proles thought of his lifestyle and his friends.

Lucius' finger moved slowly over Severus' cheek, down to the mouth. Lucius had kissed it, or been kissed, he could feel it on his lips. They were a bit sore, just like other spots on his body. For a moment an image of Severus bent over his cock, the black hair falling over his hip, made him feel a mix of desire and disgust surge through his body. He wondered if it had felt good, if Severus was good - Lucius tried to rein his brain in for a moment before he allowed the thought to flood his mind: a vague memory of soft lips and a hot mouth and hands that did the exact right things. Then there had been a flash of an intense orgasm, pain, but also a pleasure so deep that he couldn't remember having felt anything like it. That was what Severus had done to him?

Under him, Severus stirred and wrapped his arm and a long, slender leg around Lucius, snuggling possessively up to him in his sleep. Lucius stopped breathing for a moment, this was a bit too intimate. Only he had just caressed Severus, and liked it, hadn't he? Oh, well. Perhaps a bit of exploration would be acceptable? After all Severus had had his cock up his arse at some point during the night, Lucius wasn't in doubt. Maybe he would get a chance for reciprocation later? If Severus was willing, of course. After all they were both single adult men, and should hence not leave any offered mutual pleasure untried.

Lucius trailed a hand over Severus' shoulder. The skin was slightly chilled, and underneath it the bones lay, sharp and protruding. There were scars, he could feel that, as his hand wandered over Severus' back, welts crisscrossing the waist. What had been done to him, Lucius wondered, and promised himself to find out, to find a way to relieve the pain Severus had lived in for so many years; as child, as a young man, as a spy. Lucius's lips curled in a small smile. Maybe it wasn't a coincidence they had ended up in bed together? Maybe Severus had denied his need for years, or Lucius had just been blind? He felt it very strange that he felt so protective of his friend.

Without letting the smile leave his lips, he hesitated for a moment, then leaned forward and pressed his lips against Severus' mouth. It was warm against his lips, and Severus' breath had a slight scent of mint. Lucius did it again, this time kneading Severus' lower lip, then nipping the upper lip a little, just a little. Lucius felt a deep warmth rise inside, not only arousal, but... more. He kissed Severus once more, this time pulling him closer with an arm around his back.

Severus sighed and stretched, but didn't let go. Lucius felt a bit worried. What would happen now?

'Lucius...' He could feel his name as a warm whisper of breath against his lips, velvet petals against his skin, a flower of need and tenderness. So Severus _did_ remember who he had ended up in bed with after all. Now Lucius wondered what he had missed by not remembering. He withdrew to look into Severus' eyes, and the insecure look of adoration and need he found there shocked him more than any other thing or action he had experienced the last twenty-four hours. For the last twenty-four _years_ , for that matter.

He had never thought he would see Severus so vulnerable and open. It was as if hope and relief and maybe even what they had done this night had changed the sour, angry man. Lucius suddenly felt his heart flutter anxiously in his chest. What if he turned Severus down? Would Severus hate him as he had hated Potter and Black? What if Lucius didn't? What if he didn't _want_ to turn Severus down? What if they had not seen that this was exactly what they both needed? That they could be more than friends? Friends _and_ lovers?

Severus made a soft, needy sound, trying to drag Lucius closer, and suddenly nothing else mattered to him than to kiss the narrow lips that moved so softly against his.

Lucius didn't know where this would take them. He didn't know what tomorrow would bring. Only one thing he knew: there was no way he would let Severus go before they had explored every sensation, every feeling that would come to them. If it was for one more night, or for life, Lucius couldn't say.

But contrary to what he had thought when he went to Azkaban, his life was now stretched out in front of him as a long, wide road - and he was free to walk it, alone or together with someone he loved. Looking at his future like that, Lucius was certain he would be happier if he had Severus in it, one way or another.

They could talk about that later. For now there was nothing in the world but Severus' vast black eyes, an eternity for Lucius to fall into.


End file.
